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During one of my initial forays into northern Costa Rica many years ago, the single-engine Sansa charter aircraft swung low on its final approach over a grass strip outside Flamingo after a short hop over from San José, the nation’s capital. As we lined up to land, the captain abruptly banked the plane nearly on its wing tip and aborted the attempt at what felt like an uncomfortably low altitude. “Cows on the runway,” he calmly noted over the intercom. Apparently accustomed to the aerial commotion, he watched as a few white Brahmas moseyed off the strip and back into the low scrub brush through a gap in the barbed wire fence.
Fortunately, today’s anglers, captains and crews heading to the land of the Ticos face no such bovine travel disruptions, with not only world-class airports but also some of the finest marinas in the world sprinkled from head to toe along the nation’s broad Pacific coast. Indeed, it’s possible to follow the fish and the seasons from the northwest to the southeast while enjoying top-notch service and accommodations at every step along the way.
Marina Papagayo
Located in the Guanacaste province in the country’s upper corner, Marina Papagayo officially opened its doors in early 2009 as a cornerstone of the Peninsula Papagayo resort community. This finger of land snakes out into the placid Pacific and has become one of the most exclusive in the entire nation, with a mix of luxury residences as well as a Four Seasons spa resort, an Andaz luxury hotel property and an Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole golf course that’s said to be one of the most challenging in the country.
Marina Papagayo is situated below the hurricane latitudes and is also sheltered from the northerly papagayo winds within a naturally protected harbor at Bahia Culebra. Currently 180 slips can accommodate a wide variety of vessels, from the largest sport-fishers to cruising mega-yachts up to 250 feet in length. There are plans to add slips as the facility expands. Another attractive draw: The peninsula is just a 30-minute drive from the Guanacaste International Airport in nearby Liberia, giving visitors easy access to the shopping and amenities of a larger city.
As with the entire northern coast of Costa Rica, the best offshore fishing generally takes place from May through September, with plenty of summer sailfish in the area as well as enough shots at marlin to keep anglers on their toes. Amenities for visiting boats include 24/7 security and monitoring, vessel provisioning, fuel and a dockside concierge service, which can assist with airport transfers, hotel and dining reservations, shuttle services and more. The dockside village at Marina Papagayo is currently undergoing a metamorphosis and will offer new and enhanced amenities for owners and guests. A refreshed seaside apartment hotel offers studios and one- and two-bedroom suites, as well as a small ship’s store, a gourmet market and The Dive Bar restaurant.
Marina Flamingo
Long before the days of social media and predating even the internet and cell phones, Flamingo, Costa Rica, was the place to be for double-digit days on big Pacific sails, some pushing 100 pounds. The marina there was the first of its kind in the country, in operation from the late 1980s through the early 2000s, at which point it was shut down for more than a decade. The charters moved to moorings in the bay—pangas or inflatables picking up clients off the beach—but the fishing remained as strong as ever. Word of the incredible bite spread through the international sport-fishing community, and the region’s reputation as a top destination was further cemented in angling lore. Today, the new Marina Flamingo project is up and running, with an official inauguration taking place in February 2023. More than 90 slips were established in phase one, with a significant expansion in the plans to eventually feature over 500 linear feet of dockage for all types of vessels. Additionally, there will be dry storage for boats up to 34 feet, as well as a 75-ton marine travel lift.
Shoreside, Marina Flamingo is said to be one of the most completely appointed marina destinations in the country, with 40 villas for long- and short-term stays; a medical clinic with urgent care, a pharmacy and an ambulance service; multiple restaurants and cafes; a convenience store; a marine supply store; a bank; and attorney offices, plus clothing and jewelry stores.
According to Marina Flamingo General Manager Max Arata: “Marina Flamingo is a transformational project in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Undeterred and constructed during the global pandemic, the newest Costa Rican international marina destination considers its heritage as the first marina in Costa Rica. This area is known for some of the world’s best fishing and water activities and, since its reinvention, some of the most robust amenities offered anywhere in the world.”
“It is our company’s philosophy and vision to create generationally important developments that also impact the quality of life of the communities in which we work,” says Sam Shaheen, president of Marina Flamingo Development Group. “It is our desire that we enhance the standards of living and employment opportunities while being environmentally conscious. The Marina Flamingo Foundation has been created to help with environmental, women and children, and economic impact in the coastal region of Costa Rica.”
Los Sueños Resort and Marina
In 1991, Bill Royster was taking a break after selling his heavy construction, engineering and real estate development company in California. Cruising and fishing along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, he dropped anchor one evening in Herradura Bay, surrounded by the natural beauty of a secluded plain with a backdrop of rugged hills just beyond. He fell in love with the unique natural landscape, envisioning a world-class destination resort and marina unlike any other in Central America. After wrangling the purchase of some 1,100 acres of land, home to about 400 head of grazing cattle and wild-roaming horses, the next challenge would be persuading the Costa Rican government to get behind the project. Six years of feasibility studies followed; eventually what became known as Los Sueños Resort and Marina was declared a project of national interest and was completed in 2003.
Throughout Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, the season for sailfish generally picks up as the rainy season tapers off in early December. The fish usually stick around through April, although there has been a good bite in the so-called green season in June, July and August. And while for many years, the season in Los Sueños wound down as spring faded into summer, the offshore seamount fishery for blue marlin has greatly extended the fishery. These distant fishing grounds—ranging from 75 to 150 miles offshore—hold enormous amounts of bait, and the blue marlin fishing is some of the best and most consistent in the world.
Another reason for the success of the resort as a fishing destination is the series of highly competitive tournaments it hosts each year. Those events have now evolved to become the Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown, a three-tournament series from January through March. It’s been called the most competitive tournament series in the world; nearly 50 of the world’s best teams go head-to-head for three days in each event for hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. More often than not, a single sailfish release over the course of three days can mean the difference between victory and a second- or even third-place finish. If you want to test your mettle as a light-tackle, dead-bait fisherman, this is the perfect spot.
Marina Pez Vela
Located in the quaint seaside community of Quepos and shouldered next to Manuel Antonio National Park, Marina Pez Vela is an iconic project that combines modern luxury with local authenticity. With 195 slips, concrete floating docks and a safe operating depth of 14 feet, as well as a unique cofferdam system to tame the Pacific’s notorious surge, Marina Pez Vela is known as a top sport-fishing marina and tournament host location since construction began in the late 1990s; the first phase of the facility was opened in 2010. In addition, and perhaps even more of a boon to visiting sport-fishers, the site also included what has today become one of the top boatyards in Central America. With the boatyard being capable of nearly any kind of service or repair work imaginable, vessels are no longer forced to return to the States for refits or refurbishment. The marina also offers polished fuel, in-slip pump-out and a host of amenities ashore, including multiple restaurants and retail options in the marina village.
Tournaments have also become incredibly popular here, with Marina Pez Vela serving as the host facility for a number of high-profile events. The prestigious Offshore World Championship is held there each spring, along with the Pelagic Rockstar, an event that has grown to become the largest of its kind in the country in terms of both boat participation and prize purse. Several other tournaments are held here, from one-day dorado shootouts to those targeting roosterfish and other inshore species.
Marina Bahia Golfito
Tucked away in the southwestern corner of the country is Marina Bahia Golfito. Accommodating vessels ranging from 40 to 350 feet, the marina’s 45 slips are framed by the lush mangroves of the Costa Rican rainforest in the Corcovado and Piedras Blancas National Parks, and home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world, providing a haven from the rolling swells of the Pacific and shelter from Atlantic hurricanes. Golfito also serves as a gateway to western Panama and is the current offloading destination for ships arriving to the Pacific via the Panama Canal from the United States. Billed as an environmentally sustainable development, the facility is currently adding a new marina village with real estate expansion that will include an Autograph Collection boutique hotel. There’s also La Playa, a Latin American restaurant located on a large terrace overlooking the scenic beauty of Golfito Bay.
